Sanford Rothman has rude awakening -- after he apparently shot himself while sleepwalking

A lot of us find the experience of waking up and facing the light to be physically painful -- although probably not as agonizing as what Boulder's Sanford Rothman went through the other day. According to the Boulder Police Department, Rothman suffered a gunshot wound while unconscious. And apparently, he pulled the trigger.

Officers were dispatched to Mineola Court on the report of a male who accidentally shot himself in the knee. The victim said he was sleeping and woke up to a "bang." He did not have a clear recollection of the incident and was transported to Boulder Community Hospital. Investigation at the scene and interviews with the victim determined that the wound was inadvertent and most likely he was sleepwalking when it occurred.

The Boulder Daily Camera subsequently identified the man as Rothman, revealing that the shot was fired at around 2 a.m. yesterday morning. Turns out Rothman, who's 63, kept a handgun near his bed -- and while he takes prescription medicine for pain, neither alcohol nor illegal drugs are thought to have been a factor.

No word as to whether he was having a really bad dream at the time of the shooting -- or if waking up to a bullet in his knee was better or worse.